toString()

All objects automatically have a toString() method that creates a String for the object and returns a reference to it. The compiler puts in a toString() method even if you did not write it. This mechanism is called inheritance and is the subject of a upcoming chapter.

If you explicitly put your own toString() method in a class, that one will be used instead of the inherited method. The method you write must start with the method header

public String toString()

The reserved word public must be there. The chapter on inheritance will explain this further.

Fill in the blanks below to complete the method.

class CheckingAccount
{
  // instance variables
  private String accountNumber;
  private String accountHolder;
  private int    balance;

  //constructors
  . . . .

  // methods
  . . . .

  public String toString()
  {
     return "Account: " +  + ";\tOwner: " + ";\tBalance: " +  ;
  }
}